News • Low cost
Rapid method to measure COVID-19 immunity
Researchers at University of Toronto have developed a new test to accurately detect coronavirus antibodies in a drop of blood in less than an hour.
News • Testing solution
COVID-19 diagnostics: Thermo Fisher Scientific collaborates with Artificial
Thermo Fisher Scientific and Artificial have announced a strategic technology collaboration to develop an integrated and comprehensive software automation platform for Thermo Fisher’s standardized COVID-19 Testing Platform. The integration will result in increased testing throughput and support global healthcare initiatives.
Article • Non-invasive corona breath testing
SpiroNose: The electronic nose that knows about Covid-19
Rapid tests, PCR tests, self-tests… there are many test options to determine contamination with Covid-19. In most this is done by inserting a cotton swab deep into the nose and/or throat to extract some mucus – unpleasant for adults and often a drama for children. Towards the end of 2020, a new system emerged to rule out a Covid-19 contamination. The electronic SpiroNose performs a…
News • Professional diabetes management
New handheld analyzer for β-ketone and glucose launched
In vitro diagnostics company EKF Diagnostics announces the global launch of its Stat-Site WB handheld analyzer which delivers β-ketone and glucose measurements from whole blood in seconds. The portable, dual-purpose analyzer is designed for professional use in the management of diabetes patients. The device is used for the quantitative determination of β-ketones (Beta-Hydroxybutyrate or BHB)…
Article • Laboratory management
Covid-19: Overcoming unprecedented challenges
During a pandemic, the demands for laboratory testing challenge routines in an efficiently run clinical laboratory. Gold standard procedures may need modification, or to be discarded, and the more nimble, resilient and receptive a lab is to change, the better off it could be. Senior managers at ARUP Laboratories in Salt Lake City, Utah, a large clinical reference laboratory that offers over 3,000…
News • Analysing molecular composition
Infrared light is key in novel blood test
A new study carried out by a team of laser physicists, molecular biologists and physicians based at LMU Munich and the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics has confirmed the temporal stability of the molecular composition of blood in a population of healthy individuals. The data provide a basis for a new method of monitoring the constituents of blood and detecting alterations that reveal…
News • Improved Coronavirus detection
Low-cost and fast Covid-19 test uses pool of gargle lavage samples
In order to monitor and contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 it is necessary to test large numbers of people on a regular basis in decentralized settings. Researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and the Hospital St. Georg in Leipzig, Germany, have developed improved protocols for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The method can detect a positive sample in a pool with 25…
Sponsored • Product of the Month
Glucose stabilisation right from the beginning
Plasma glucose levels are essential for the evaluation of diabetes mellitus as well as gestational diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common metabolic disorders in the world. The breakdown of glucose (glycolysis) in venous blood samples is of great significance in pre-analytics, particularly in relation to the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and gestational diabetes.
Video • Multiphoton microscopy gives new insights
Microscopic behaviour of developing breast cells uncovered
An improved high-tech fluorescence microscopy technique is allowing researchers to film cells inside the breast as never seen before. This new protocol provides detailed instructions on how to capture hi-res movies of cell movement, division and cooperation, in hard-to-reach regions of breast tissue. The technology – called multiphoton microscopy – uses infrared lasers to illuminate…
News • Temperature range from 0°C to -85°C
Ultra-freezers for safe vaccine and sample storage
Temperature control equipment and systems company Lauda is expanding its portfolio with its new Versafreeze product line. This consists of high-quality ultra-freezers which have been optimized for the extreme requirements of deep-freeze storage. Lauda thereby meets the requirements of vaccine producers, pharmaceutical service providers, vaccination centers and universities for the safe storage of…
Sponsored • Wako β-glucan test
Better detection and diagnosis of fungal infections
Beta-glucan tests are proving to be pivotal in the better detection and diagnosis of fungal infections. As a robust complimentary test for traditional testing techniques and biomarkers, it is helping clinicians deliver rapid results and offering greater reassurance in more accurately identifying such infections. β-glucan testing, which is an in vitro diagnostic test, is regularly used at…
Article • MHH SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test Kit
First Covid-19 test 'made in Poland'
To date, testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection mostly has relied on RT-PCR performed on a nasopharyngeal specimen. This testing method is very unpleasant for a patient: the professional tester has to tilt the patient’s head back slightly about 45°-70° to straighten the passage from the front of the nose, insert the swab through the nostril parallel to the palate, and the swab should reach a depth…
Article • Preparing for the future
Digital pathology dawns in developing countries
"Given the rapid transition towards digitisation, digital pathology is now unquestionably the future", reports pathologist Dr Talat Zehra from Pakistan. "However, some pathologists, particularly in underdeveloped countries, are still reluctant to accept its place in their labs. Among their many reasons, some feel that histopathology is a very complex and subjective field and…
News • Detect lingering disease
Liquid biopsy for colorectal cancer could guide therapy for tumors
A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis demonstrates that a liquid biopsy examining blood or urine can help gauge the effectiveness of therapy for colorectal cancer that has just begun to spread beyond the original tumor. Such a biopsy can detect lingering disease and could serve as a guide for deciding whether a patient should undergo further treatments due to some…
Video • Portable testing solution
A corona lab that fits in a suitcase
The PCR test is the most accurate tool to identify SARS-CoV-2. However, valid results are often available only after days. Moreover, the laboratory must be well equipped, have trained personnel and sufficient financial resources. All of this is usually a problem in Africa. A portable suitcase could help. In cooperation with several African universities, scientists at Leipzig University have found…
News • Early detection
Blood-based methylation test offers promising data on lung cancer detection
In-vitro diagnostics company Universal Diagnostics (UDX) announced promising new data for its investigational blood-based lung cancer test. The data, presented at the IASLC 2020 World Conference on Lung Cancer hosted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (#WCLC20), held virtually 28th-31st January 2021, used methylation status measurement of the tumour-derived portion from…
News • Hematology
New tabletop analyzer to increase productivity and efficiency in the lab
Clinical diagnostics company Beckman Coulter announced the launch of the DxH 560 AL, a tabletop analyzer geared to reduce the time and resource constraints faced by small to mid-sized laboratories. With the analyzer’s Auto-Loading functionality, closed tube aspiration and walkaway capabilities, users can continually add up to 50 samples, provide safety against blood-borne pathogens and spend…
News • New microscopy approach
A smartphone-based test for Covid-19
Researchers at the University of Arizona are developing a Covid-19 testing method that uses a smartphone microscope to analyze saliva samples and deliver results in about 10 minutes. The research team, led by biomedical engineering professor Jeong-Yeol Yoon, aims to combine the speed of existing nasal swab antigen tests with the high accuracy of nasal swab PCR, or polymerase chain reaction,…
News • Coronavirus infection response
SARS-CoV-2 IgG II antibody test launched in CE Mark countries
Clinical diagnostics company Beckman Coulter launched its Access SARS-CoV-2 IgG II assay in countries accepting the CE Mark. The new Access SARS-CoV-2 IgG II assay quantitatively measures a patient’s level of antibodies in response to a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. The ability to establish a quantitative baseline to evaluate an individual’s immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus allows…
News • Integrated diagnostics
Joining radiology and pathology solutions
Medical imaging IT and cybersecurity company Sectra has received an order for its digital pathology solution from Amsterdam UMC in the Netherlands. This follows a recently announced radiology imaging contract. With radiology and pathology in one joint solution, Amsterdam UMC will be able to conveniently share images and information between the two medical specialties, enabling efficient…
News • Neuroimaging research
Using mass spectrometry to diagnose brain diseases
To quickly and correctly diagnose diseases, medical professionals depend on identifying what biochemicals are present in tissue sections, where the biomolecules are, and at what concentrations. Mass spectrometry imaging—which can identify multiple biochemicals in a single experiment—is a promising technique to achieve this.
Article • Second opinion from afar
Telepathology: a prime application of digital pathology
Telepathology remains number one application for digital pathology, according to expert Professor Liron Pantanowitz, Professor of Pathology and Director of Anatomical Pathology at the University of Michigan. Speaking at the ‘7th Digital Pathology and AI Congress: Europe’, Pantanowitz outlined advances in telepathology, and its enabling access to broader expertise, image sharing and rapid…
Article • AI use in clinical diagnosis
Deep learning tool predicts tumour expression from whole slide images
A deep learning model to predict RNA-Seq expression of tumours from whole slide images was among the industry innovations outlined at the 7th Digital Pathology and AI Congress for Europe. Created by French-American start-up Owkin, the detail of how the company’s HE2RNA model provides virtual spatialization of gene expression was detailed to online delegates by senior translational scientist…
Article • Machine learning advances diagnostics and prognostics
Computerized image analysis can predict cancer outcomes
The advent of digital pathology is offering a unique opportunity to develop computerized image analysis methods to diagnose disease and predict outcomes for cancer patients from histopathology tissue sections. Such advances can help predict risk of recurrence, disease aggressiveness and long-term survival, according to a leading expert in the field, Professor Anant Madabhushi from Case Western…
Article • Applications of machine learning
Training AI to predict outcomes for cancer patients
Predicting cancer outcome could help with a clinical decision regarding a patient’s treatment. In his keynote speech during the online ‘7th Digital Pathology and AI Congress: Europe’, Johan Lundin, Research Director at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) at the University of Helsinki and Professor of Medical Technology at Karolinska Institute, discussed ‘Outcome and…
